In vehicle assembly and other manufacturing operations, it is often desirable to provide a platform upon which a workpiece is coupled for movement and which permits assembly workers to walk about the platform and perform assembly tasks on the workpiece. One example of such a system is a skillet system, which has recently gained popularity in vehicle general assembly operations. Skillet systems commonly include a plurality of skillets that are conveyed in a train by means of friction drives and powered rollers. In some cases, the platform rides on floor mounted roller conveyor sections and in other cases the platform has wheels which ride on rails. Typical features of conventional skillet systems include a deck of sufficient dimension and structural strength to carry the workpiece and assembly workers and a lifting unit for raising and lowering the workpiece. Adjacent skillets within the train are maintained in abutting relationship commonly through friction drives at the entrance to a production area and retarding drives at the exit.
Despite the increase in popularity of skillet systems, the systems present operational and manufacturing deficiencies that have yet to be addressed in the art. For example, skillet systems commonly require a recessed section or pit in the floor to accommodate the skillet deck, rollers, and drive assemblies. By recessing these components, the support surface of the skillet is at approximately the same elevation as the surrounding floor. Skillet systems are also expensive due to the necessary structural strength of the platform itself as well as the variety of drive and transfer accessories required to transport and properly orient the skillets and workpieces within the manufacturing process. For example, it is commonly desirable to transport skillets through multiple production lines which may require reorientation of the skillet in elevation and/or horizontal alignment. Complex and expensive cross tables, roller tables, elevators, and the like are commonly used in these instances.